Tooth-cleaner.



PATENTED Nov; 8, 1 904.

J. E. KEEPE. TOOTH CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED APE. 15.1903.

N0 MODEL.

Patented November 8, 1904.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. KEEFE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOOTH-CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,253, dated November8, 1904. I Application filed A ril 15, 1903. Serial No. 152,716. (Nomodel.)

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES E. KEEFE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Tooth-Cleaners, of whichthe following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to tooth-cleaners, and has for its purpose theprovision of an improved form of tooth-cleaner that may be used bypeople upon their own teeth and which is adapted to reach those partsthat have not hitherto been well reached by tooth-brushes.

My invention has for its objects, first, the provision of a cleaner thatwill find effective entry between the teeth at the front; second, theprovision of an improved cleaner that will find effective entry betweenthe teeth at the rear; third, the provision of an improved cleaner thatwill enable both the fronts and the backs of the teeth to be readilycleaned, and, fourth, to provide in the cleaner an improvedcleaning-surface, which is also desirably designed to afford alodging-place for the dentifrice.

The first object of my invention is realized by the provision of awedge-shaped device that is desirably made of rubber or equivalentpliable material, this device having a continuation preferably formed ina separate part of metal, which continuation or handle is angularlydisposed with respect to the edge of the wedge, so that the tool may beconveniently applied to the teeth.

The second object of my invention is accomplished by providing the toolwith asharp corner that may be inserted between the teeth and moved upand down to dislodge any foreign matter between the same uponthe insideof the mouth, the tool or cleaner and the handle supporting the samebeing so relatively disposed and shaped that ample clearance is affordedbetween the handle and the teeth and the body portion of the cleaner andthe teeth to enable the cleaner to effectively perform this function.

The third object of my invention is accomplished so organizing theinstrument as to enable it to perform the functions set forth inthedescription of the first two objects, to which end the cleaner ispreferably in the form of a double wedge whose entering edges areangularly disposed, the extreme ends of these edges constituting suchcontinuations of the sides of the cleaner as to afford cleaning cornersfor the backs of the teeth.

, The fourth object of my invention is preferably accomplished byserrating or notching those portions of the cleaner that are designed tohave immediate contact with the teeth, which serrations or notches servenot only somewhat the function of the file in removing foreign substancefrom the teeth, but also afford a lodging-place for the dentifrice thatis desirably applied to the cleaner before the cleaner is applied to theteeth.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a view in elevation of my improved formof cleaner in the actof being applied to the outside or front of some ofthe upperteeth, the application of the instrument to the inside of thelower teeth being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a view inelevation of the instrument. Fig. 3 is a view illustrating theinstrument in full lines as applied to the outside of the lower teeth,the application of the instrument to the inside of the upper teeth beingindicated by dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the cleanerremoved from its handle. Fig. 5 is a view of the clevice in Fig. %l atright angles thereto.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughoutthe different figures.

The cleaner head proper is preferably formed of a substantially fiathead, of rubber or equivalent pliable material, having tapering edgesthat may be applied to the teeth without danger ofinju'ring the same andwhich by reason of its flexible tapers will find ready access to thespaces between the teeth. This cleaner is preferably formed witha shortstern a, which is designed to be held clamped by the folded parts 6 of ahandle 0, which is desirably made of sheet metal, as aluminium.

In order that the tool may be readily adapted to cleaning the frontportions of the upper teeth. the stem (4 forms an angle with the wedgeedge (Z. the handle 0 partaking of the same general direction as thestem (0, so that the tool may be conveniently applied to front parts ofthe upper teeth. The edge (Z forms with a curved angular continuation eof the stem (0 a point f, the edges (11 and a defining an acute angle.This point f is adapted for convenient application to the rear of theupper teeth, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. To apply tothe rear of the lower teeth, the position of the cleaner need only beslightly shifted, as indicated in Fig. 1 in dotted lines. The frontportions of the upper teeth and rear portions of the lower teeth may becleaned without shifting the position of the handle within the hand.When the front portions of the lower teeth are to be cleaned, theposition of the handle is desirably reversed in the hand, as indicatedin Fig. 3,

when another wedge edge g is brought into I service. This wedge edgeforms an acute angle with the inclined or curved edge portion h leadingfrom the stem (1 and point i, which may be serviceable for cleaning atthe rear of the teeth.

In order that the cleaner may be more effective and in order that morecleaning material or dentifrice may find ready lodgingplace upon thewedge edges, the said edges are serrated, as indicated at is, theseserrations being desirably angularly disposed with respect to the wedgeedges and extending closely thereto. The edges 6, f, g, and h preferablyform the sides of a quadrilateral, making the cleaner, With its stem,substantially arrow-shaped, so as to afford the corners i and f for thepurpose specified and whereby the tool may be readily used at the frontof the teeth. The edges 61 and g are thin, the

body portion or flat parts of the arrow-shaped cleaner being taperedtoward these edges.

While I provide the stem at with a separately-formed handle, I do notwish to be limited to this structural characteristic.

It is obvious that departures may readily be made from the preciseembodiment of the invention illustrated without departing from thespirit of the invention, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited tothe precise construction shown; but,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A tooth-cleaner consisting of a flat head havingtapered edges, portions of which are arranged at angles to each otherand a handle extending from the head in the plane of the sides thereof.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a toothcleaner formed of awedge-shaped head of pliable material formed with tapered edges andhaving a handle portion extending at an angle to the wedge edge, theedge of the wedgeshaped head between the wedge edge and the handleportion forming an angle with the wedge edge, substantially asdescribed.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a toothcleaner formed of asubstantially flat wedgeshaped head of pliable material and having ahandle portion extending at an angle to the wedge edge, the edge of thewedge-shaped head between the wedge edge and the handle portion formingan angle with the wedge edge, and being also angularly disposed withrespect to the main direction of the handle portion, substantially asdescribed.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a toothcleaner formed of asubstantially flat wedgeshaped head of pliable material having a handleportion forming with the wedge edge an angle, the edge of thewedge-shaped head extending between the wedge edge and the handle beingangularly disposed with respect, both to the handle and the wedge edge,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th day of April,A. D. 1903.

JAMES E. KEEFE.

Witnesses:

MAY HILL, LENA HAYWARD.

